Reporter's Corner

Club reporters submit their 4-H related articles, and you get to read about the latest Johnson County 4-H Club happenings! Click the button below for some fun news and updates! 

County Club Day

County Club Day is on Saturday, February 28th at Pioneer Ridge Middle School in Gardner, KS. Refer to these guidelines as you prepare your performances. Not performing? Read below for many other ways to be involved in this fun, county-wide event!



County Judging Opportunity

There will be two county level judging activities led by other K-State Extension Agents at this event. Judging activities help deepen your project knowledge and strengthen critical thinking skills. Taking part in a county level judging experience also satisfies a requirement on membership pin applications!

• 9:00 - 11:30 Family & Consumer Science and Foods & Nutrition
• 11:00 - 1:00 Horticulture and Natural Resources

Both judging activities will take place in the Commons Area in the middle school.

Room Monitors Needed!

Room monitors are an essential role for this event and ANYONE can sign up to room monitor. You do not have to be registered to perform at this event to be a room monitor. Important note: serving as a room monitor satisfies a requirement on membership pin applications! Never been a room monitor before? No worries! It is easy and we will show you what to do! Sign-ups will be coming soon.

Club Day Snack Donations

The Club Day Committee would love your help providing some snacks for the club day judges to enjoy during the event. Please use the signup genius to find out what is needed. If you would like to donate you can drop the items off by 8:00 AM at the front doors of Pioneer Ridge Middle School (16200 S. Kill Creek Rd. Gardner, KS).

Thank you for helping show our judges how much we appreciate them!

-Ellie D., Great Plains 4-H Club Member and County Club Day Committee Member

Kitchen Restore Community Service Project

The Johnson County 4-H Council is hosting a donation drive to benefit the Kitchen Restore Project. The Kitchen Restore Project strives to improve the nutrition, food safety awareness, health, and quality of life of Johnson County residents through the provision of basic kitchen items to those with minimal or no resources for cooking. Clubs are encouraged to gather donations, which will be collected at the County Council meeting on March 2nd, 2026. Donations will also be collected at the County Food Fare, or they may be dropped off at the Extension Office. View the flyer for more information!

Fair Theme & Artwork Competition

The 2026 Johnson County Fair theme will be "The Greatest Show in Johnson County."

So many votes were cast! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!

Now we want YOUR artwork! Please submit your artwork showcasing the theme and elements of the county fair to the office. The winning artwork submission will be featured on the fair book cover. Email submissions to the Extension Office by February 15th.

Food Fare

The 2026 Food Fare will be held on Friday, March 6th from 6:00 - 8:00 PM at the Extension Office. This year's theme is "Around the World" - come to enjoy international cuisine! Invite your family and friends. Please RSVP by February 27th if you plan to attend.

JCEEF Grant Applications

Have a great idea for an experience? Know of a County-Wide Project group that could use additional funding to broaden their reach or another educational learning opportunity that could benefit a large group of Johnson County youth? 2026 grant applications are open for the Johnson County Extension Education Foundation (JCEEF), now through February 13th. Applications will be reviewed by JCEEF. Application forms can be mailed in or completed online. 4-H’ers have benefitted from this grant opportunity before through a speaker's series, photo stand displays for the County Fair, and continuing to fund background check fees for volunteers. Read more about the grant request procedure. If you have any questions on the application process, please reach out to Cyla or Lexi.

Regional 4-H Club Day

4-H’ers receiving a Top Purple ribbon placing at County Club Day will be invited to participate in Regional Club Day which will take place on Saturday, March 21st at Baldwin City Junior High School. And remember, 4-H’ers who are 4-H age 9 and older that receive a purple ribbon for a Demonstration, Illustrated Talk, Project Talk, or Poetry/Prose are eligible to enter in the Kansas State Fair. 

Spring Break Classes - March 17th

Leathercraft Class

Instructor Randy Cornelius will touch on the basics of leathercraft including some history of leather, how leather is made, and the basic seven tools used to carve floral designs on leather. This class is geared toward youth above the age of 12 and is simply an introduction for those who have never done leathercraft before. Hands on work of carving and tooling a design will be done on a leather coaster.

The class will be held on Tuesday, March 17th from 1:30 - 4:30 PM at the Johnson County Extension Office, Room 1055. The class fee is $25 per participant. All the tools, leather, and other supplies will be provided. Each youth will also be supplied a leatherworking manual that is theirs to keep. Participants will need to bring two #2 lead pencils or a mechanical pencil, a 12” ruler, and a pair of scissors. The class is limited to 10 spots. Preregistration is required. Email Randy with any questions about the class.

Livestock Judging

If you are interested in joining or learning more about the Johnson County 4-H Livestock Judging team, please fill out this form. Livestock judging is a great way to learn more about each species, desirable genetics and traits for your animals, and gain confidence in communication skills. This team will also compete at the 4-H Livestock Sweepstakes contest. Please contact Cyla or coach, Wyatt Reece, with questions.

YQCA

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national, multi-species youth livestock quality assurance program that focuses on food safety, animal wellbeing, and character development, through age-appropriate educational curriculum for ages 7-21. This program is an annual certification that grows with the youth, so the learning modules are different every year.

Who needs to be certified?

• ALL Johnson County Fair Exhibitors: Youth ages 8 and older exhibiting in the beef, goat, sheep and/or swine project must be YQCA certified by June 15, 2026 in order to exhibit at the fair.
• ALL Exhibitors at State Livestock Shows: Youth ages 7 and older who will be exhibiting market or breeding animals in the Kansas State Fair Grand Drive or Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS) are required to obtain certification.

How do I get certified? Certification can be done by taking a minimum one-hour in-person training or an online training. Both types of trainings are registered for and paid for by going to the YQCA website. All registrations and payments are handled through the YQCA website and must be done before attending either type of training. The online training is $12 per youth and the in-person training is $3 per youth. (If a family needs financial support, contact the Extension Office.)

Johnson County 4-H will hold two in-person trainings at the Extension Office on Tuesday, February 10th at 6:00 PM and Tuesday, May 5th at 6:00 PM. Registration is required to attend a training. If you cannot attend one of the in-person trainings that our county offers, you may also attend a training in another county. It is not required that you complete your certification in the county you show in. To find other counties' trainings, view other available dates on the YQCA website.

Families are responsible for turning in a printed copy of their YQCA certificate or emailing a copy to the Extension Office by June 15th, 2026. No late submissions (after June 15th) will be accepted. Additional details can be found on the Johnson County 4-H Livestock webpage.

Livestock Tagging

All market and commercial breeding animals, including beef, sheep, goats, swine, and bucket calves, must be tagged by Extension staff on or before the designated tagging deadlines to be eligible to show in the 4-H division at the Johnson County Fair. The cost of the Kansas 4-H EID ear tag is $3 per animal.

Tagging dates and times are as follows and will all take place at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. In an effort to meet state guidelines please note that tagging dates will be held earlier for the 2026 show year. Read more about best management practices for local livestock tagging.

Johnson County Fair Livestock Limits

Please note that there will be no limits for the number of market animals you can show for the 2026 Johnson County Fair. Previously no exhibitor of cattle, swine, goats and sheep could show more than 3 market animals. This change was a collective decision made between the Extension Office, the Johnson County Fair Board, and the 4-H Livestock Superintendents to help encourage more participation in these project areas.

State Livestock Nominations

4-H members planning to show their animals at the Kansas Junior Livestock Show (KJLS) and/or the Kansas State Fair must submit nominations to the KSU Youth Livestock office. Market beef nominations are due by May 1. Commercial heifer, swine, sheep, and meat goat nominations are due by June 15. Information regarding state livestock nominations, ordering DNA envelopes, and the nomination process can be found on the webpage.

Fiber Arts Project Meeting

STEM: Moving On with Electricity -

Second Session

The class was so popular in January that we are having it again!

Horticulture Class

Join us on Tuesday, February 17th at 6:00 PM, for our next horticulture class led by Horticulture agents Markis Hill and Anthony Reardon. The goal of these classes is to establish a baseline of horticultural knowledge for 4-H members who may be interested in submitting a project at the county fair, competing in the horticulture judging competition, or simply want to be better stewards of the land. Classes are free to join and will be held monthly, on the third Tuesday, throughout the year (except July).

In February, we’ll begin with a quick review before diving into entomology, the study of insects. Students will learn about both beneficial and harmful insects and be introduced to the basics of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). We’ll wrap up the lesson with a hands-on activity as participants work on their drawings for the K-State IPM Insect Art Contest. This year’s theme is “Metamorphosis Magic.” Reminder: Please bring a leaf to share as we discuss leaf morphology and come ready to talk about your favorite bug!

If you plan to attend, please RSVP via the sign-up.

County-wide Poultry Project Kickoff

Join us Wednesday, March 4th from 6:00 - 7:00 PM at the Extension Office to kickoff the 4-H Poultry Project in Johnson County. Hear from this year's new superintendent Alicia Van Gotten, ask questions and share knowledge with other poultry families. Door prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the meeting (must be present to win).

Whether this is your first or tenth year in the Johnson County poultry project, you are encouraged to attend! We will be discussing new biosecurity protocols, showmanship expectations and plans for barn improvements. 

For first year poultry project families, we will discuss Poultry 101, where to buy project chicks, care and show processes. Bring your questions! Treats provided by the Blue River Wranglers Poultry Project.

Please RSVP if you plan to attend. Can't make the meeting? We will share a link to attend virtually. Feel free to email questions in advance to Alicia.

Building Block Engineering Project Meeting

The 2026 Johnson County Building Block Engineering Project Kickoff will be Tuesday, March 10th from 6:00 -7:00 PM at the Extension Office! Hear from superintendent Ben Powell, ask questions and share ideas with other Building Block Engineering families. We will have some mixed bins of Legos for 4-H'ers to experiment with while we go over the project expectations and guidance for required paperwork. Treats will be provided by the Blue River Wranglers Lego Group.

Anyone interested in learning more about Building Block Engineering (commonly referred to as BBE, or the Lego project) is invited! No supplies needed. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Save the Date: Foods Project Information Session

Our Nutrition, Food Safety, and Health Agent, Chelsea King, and the 4-H Foods and Nutrition Superintendent, Sue Pio, will host an information session via Zoom on Thursday, April 30th (6:00 - 7:00 PM). This session is designed to help exhibitors prepare for the fair’s food projects. We’ll walk through the fair book together, highlighting key rules and guidelines, and cover practical tips, such as calculating your frosting percentage, to ensure your entries meet judging standards. The session will conclude with a Q&A, giving you the chance to ask questions you may have around foods for the fair. 

Thursdays, February 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th 6:30 - 8:30 PM

County-Wide Sewing Meetings

All levels welcome. Bring your sewing machines!

Contact: Martha Powell

Location: Johnson County Extension Office

Sunday, February 8th 4:30 PM

County Fiber Arts Project Meet-up

Join fiber arts members for an afternoon of crafting. Bring a project to work on, meet new people and learn from the leaders and volunteers.

Contact: Emily Kozlowski

Location: Black Dog Coffeehouse (12815 W. 87th St. Pkwy. Lenexa, KS 66215)

Tuesday, February 10th 6:00 PM

YQCA In-Person Training

Complete your required YQCA training at this session.

Registration: Registration required

Contact: Cyla or Lexi

Location: Johnson County Extension Office

Monday, February 16th 6:00 PM

County Electricity Meeting

Back by popular demand, join us for the second session on electromagnetism.

Registration: Required

Contact: Paul Voelker

Location: Johnson County Extension Office, Room 1060

Tuesday, February 17th 6:00 PM

Johnson County Horticulture Project Meeting

Join us for the monthly horticulture meetings.

Registration: Sign up required

Contact: Anthony or Markis

Location: Johnson County Extension Office

Monday, February 23rd 6:00 PM

Johnson County Entomology Project Meeting

You are invited to join us on the third Monday of each month at the Johnson County Entomology Project Meetings. At these meetings we dive into the art of collecting and learning about insects! Whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting out, this hands-on meeting is perfect for anyone looking to improve their skills and take their insect collection to new heights. All skill levels welcome!

At the February meeting we will talk about more advanced aspects of pinning and positioning specimens. Don’t worry if you are new, you can come and learn no matter your skill level! If you have already caught some insects, remember to bring them so you can practice pinning and identifying. If you are looking for a new project where you can learn more about the world and nature, entomology is an excellent choice and this meeting will give you the right place to start learning about the insects and how they live! 

Registration: None required

Contact: Patrick Delancy

Location: Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (Room #115) 13145 Blackbob Road, Olathe, KS 66062

Thursday, February 26th 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Beef Tagging

All market and commercial breeding animals must be tagged by Extension staff on or before the designated tagging deadlines to be eligible to show in the 4-H division at the Johnson County Fair.

Contact: Cyla or Lexi

Location: Johnson County Fairgrounds

Saturday, February 28th

Johnson County Club Day

Join this county-wide event by observing a fellow 4-H'er perform, take part in county-wide judging and serve as a room monitor.

Contact: Cyla or Lexi

Location: Pioneer Ridge Middle School (16200 S. Kill Creek Rd. Gardner, KS)

Allen County Entomology Meeting

Insect Heads Up! On Saturday, February 14th come join the SE Kansas Entomology project meeting where they will be learning about what is in and on an insect head! The meeting will start at 1:00 PM at the Allen County Extension Office meeting room. They will be pinning insect specimens again, so bring your pinning boards and supplies and 3 or 4 insects to pin. If 4-H'ers need to practice a talk or demonstration for their County Club Day on any project, bring your presentation to practice in front of the group! Questions? Call Vicky at (620)804-9170.

Save the Date: K-State Junior Producer Day

Junior Producer Days are hosted to provide educational material and hands-on experiences for youth, parents, leaders, extension agents, and ag teachers. Various speakers share information on topics such as selection, nutrition, showmanship, fitting, reproduction, feeding, and disease control. Talks, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and door prizes are present at all events. Beef and Sheep days are hosted in even years, and Swine and Meat Goat days are hosted in odd years.

Both events will be held at the Bilbrey Family Events Center in Manhattan, KS.

YQCA Scholarship

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) will be continuing the scholarship program they launched in 2025. Last year, Kansas had two of the seven national scholarships awarded. Review the requirements below and apply by February 15th.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must be in the age range of a high school senior to 21 years of age. Applicants must have experience with an animal project in one of the species covered by YQCA (beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, or rabbits). All applicants must show a commitment to pursuing a career path in agriculture, livestock, or food systems. Applicants must meet one of the following education and career pathway requirements:

• High School Seniors: High school seniors may apply if they have been accepted into an accredited college, university, or certification program in an agriculture-related field.
• High School Graduates: High school graduates must be currently enrolled in one of the following:
• A 2- to 4-year college or university agriculture program
• An agriculture-related certification program

K-State Invitational Youth Meat Judging Contest

A spring youth meat judging contest will be hosted again this year on Sunday, March 1 in the KSU Meats Lab on the K-State campus in Manhattan. This will be a wonderful opportunity for youth to see actual meat product.

Registration for the contest is live. The deadline to register is February 27.  

Booth Opportunity at American Royal Field Trip Day/Youth Rodeo

Walnut Pond Agriculture Discovery Center invites 4-H clubs to join them in their presentation "A Day Without Agriculture" to children at the American Royal Field Trip Day in association with the Youth Rodeo on April 22-24th, 2026.

Each club can choose a crop/livestock and make an exhibit that children of elementary age will view to learn about the chosen project and all the things they come in contact with daily that has been made at least in part from that crop/product. The discovery center will coordinate your booth space for you and provide assistance with whatever you may need. All booth topic selections must be registered with the center so there will not be any duplicates. This is a great opportunity for presentation, creativity, learning, leadership and community service. Your booth could even be chosen to become a permanent part of a traveling display! Please direct all your questions and communications to the Discovery Center.

IPM Insect Art Contest

The K-State Extension Pesticide Safety and IPM Program is hosting its annual insect-themed art contest, open to all ages and skill levels in Kansas!

This year’s theme is Metamorphosis Magic. The goal is to explore insects that undergo complete and incomplete metamorphosis, then create artwork that fits the contest theme. Artwork may include drawings or paintings, digital art, or a 3-D piece such as sculpture, stained glass or other creative media.

Awards will be given for 1st – 3rd place in each of the following age categories: 

• Kindergarten – 2nd grade 
• 3rd grade – 5th grade 
• 6th grade – 8th grade 
• High school 
• Adult 

Entries must be received or postmarked before April 15, 2026. 

Clover Clips Submission

The deadline for submissions for Clover Clips will be on the 15th of each month. If you have a submission that you would like to have considered for an edition of Clover Clips please send it to Erin at Erin.Yeung@jocogov.org